


From Dusk 'till Dawn

by Ommphna



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dystopia, F/F, F/M, M/M, Miu is an ass but shes doing her best to help, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Akamatsu Kaede/Saihara Shuichi, Single divorced loving dad Shuichi is the best Shuichi, The world is at war guys, he tries his best, violence but its not super graphic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-28
Updated: 2019-04-28
Packaged: 2020-02-08 16:42:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18627169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ommphna/pseuds/Ommphna
Summary: As a divorced, single father, Shuichi thought his life was nothing much. The same routine everyday. Text babysitter, go to work, come back, and spend time with his daughter.However, he always ignored the news of oncoming war in other countries or politics. It was never any of his business. He just wanted to not ruin his life by whatever means necessary.Ignoring the crazy people isn't always a great idea, it seems.





	From Dusk 'till Dawn

**Author's Note:**

> Hey. I'm back from what, 4 months? Crazy, right? It's weird how I just go missing for a l o n g time then just drop back in like it was any other day. 
> 
> Anyways, I'm excited to show this story to you, as I've planned it out. I tried to make my writing a bit better, hopefully that shows lol
> 
> Ummm enjoy the story, Hope's it's not too cliché or anything!

The drive home was normal. Hues of orange and purple painting the sky, wispy clouds adding the decorating touches, and the silhouettes of city birds flitting around. With drivers passing others adding the occational road rage, and the awkward glances that passing drivers shared.  
  
Classic rush hour. Shuichi never loved it, but he learned to tune into it. He turned the radio's volume dial up as a slow rock song played on the station. Taking a sip at the remains of his Starbucks coffee, he kept his eyes focused on the road. He needed to get the Chinese food home before it got cold.  
  
He hoped that the babysitter would be fine with a delayed payment. His job wasn't doing so steady at the moment, as the crime rates grew lower. Which was odd, you would think that an uprising war would drive people to hysteria. Turns out it makes them leave.  
  
Shuichi had no worries about international drama. He wasn't involved that much in politics anyways. Hell, he didn't even invest in stocks! He usually shrugged it off as a waste of time, yet he knew the truth.   
  
It was the fear of controversial political arguments that would ensue if said topic was brought up.   
  
Pulling into the apartment complex, an odd feeling creeped into Shuichi's head. The eerie, cold atmosphere of the plain white buildings surrounded by a now blue-grey sky... bothered him.  
  
Shrugging the growing feeling off, he shut the car door, and climbed up the stairwell as he always would. Perhaps seeing his daughter would help him blow off some steam.  
  
He opened the door with a slow creak. Instead of being greeted by a tired babysitter, he was greeted with the faint sound of the news channel in the living room. With no sounds of life accompanying it.  
  
Well, that was definitely concerning.  
  
"Kaori? Jill? I'm home!" He yelled with a slight shakiness to his voice.  
  
Nothing. Shit, what happened? Will he have to call 911? God, Shuichi didn't hope so. Furrowing his brows, he dropped the bags of Chinese food the floor of the hallway, and searched his own house.  
  
Peeking his head into the kitchen, all he found was unwashed dishes from last night, an oddly empty island counter, and a small table with an unfinished plate of mac n' cheese. Still, no sign of his daughter or the babysitter.  
  
He took a quick look into the bathroom. No people. But the shower curtain was broken. It wasn't like that this morning. Oh well. He had other priorities.   
  
Finally, he stepped into the small living room. The t.v was the only source of light, with the news channel emitting a subtle blue light our of its screen. Sleeping on the couch and cuddling a cushion, was his daughter, Kaori. Like a strong wave, relief flushed through Shuichi like never before. Walking over and planting himself next to her, he sighed and ran a hand gently through his daughter's silky, long blond hair. She had small, slow breaths, meaning she was out cold. He wondered if she was dreaming. Hopefully it was of something good.   
  
Shuichi wanted nothing but happiness for his sweetheart.  
  
He could have sat there forever, but there was still another problem.  _Where the hell is the babysitter?_ He got up, and dialed the number on his cell phone. If she picked up, he was going to have to refrain from lashing out at her. How dare she leave a five-year-old home alone in the middle of an apartment complex?! Was that even legal? Just imagining the horrible possibilities made Shuichi's stomach twist.  
  
The babysitter never picked up. He called again. Still no answer. Then again, and again. He called a worrying total of 16 times.   
  
The other line was still mute.  
  
Shuichi tried to think rationally and keep bias out of his mind. Perhaps she had a family emergency? But couldn't she have at least called him? Maybe she got hurt? Still, the home phone was  _right_ in the kitchen!  
  
Oh well. Not much he could do now. He made a mental note to fire her later on however.   
  
Shuichi looked back at his sleeping daughter. She looked so peaceful. He decided that he should let the little girl sleep. He left the living room and made his way back to the dimly lit hallway. After bringing the bags to the kitchen, he took the carton of fried rice back to the living room and sat down next to Kaori.  
  
The t.v still played the news. Of course it did. There was nobody there to change it, at least not anybody  _awake._ Shuichi couldn't seem to shake the frustration growing in his head. Maybe he'll get his first migraine. Haha.  
  
With nothing better to do, and not wanting to wake his sleeping child, Shuichi decided that it wouldn't hurt to pay attention to the news for once. And if he didnt regret that, then  shame didn't exist in this world, since what he saw was definitely not what he wanted to see.  
  
On the blue screen, showed videos of horrible tradegy. It was censored obviously, but it was still was worryingly graphic. Buildings were burning, people running about in the streets with faces painted of terror. The video itself was shaky, you could tell who ever was filming it was too running away from the hell that ensued in the city.  
  
Mass hysteria. It was Shuichi's worst fear, and yet he still saw everything unfold in front of his very eyes. He was so traumatized that he didnt notice the the sound of a low-flying plane that sliced the air past his apartment complex.   
  
Shuichi quickly glanced at his daughter. She was still sleeping, having moved little since he sat down by her. It was a miracle of how she was still in her slumber.  
  
**_Bang!  
_**  
Shuichi shot his head up torwards the window, ignoring the whiplash he received. Confused, he quickly but quietly made a swift move to the window. He pulled a single blind down and scouted the outside area.   
  
Nothing. Then where did that sound come from? And why did it sound so close? The entire house shook from that, meaning that it  _should_ have been close. Shuichi tried to remember the sound. It was sudden, and it had a low rumble to it. And he could've sworn that it was still faintly there. Piecing the scene together, he came to a grave conclusion.   
  
What he just heard was a bomb. It wasn't the faint ones that military bases practice with, it was a nearby one. And last time he checked, bombs weren't allowed in the city. 

 

* * *

  
  
He never thought it would happen to him. He never thought that he would have to pack bags with bare essentials within 10 minutes. The thought of war never crossed his mind.  
  
Yet here Shuichi was, packing bags with haste, avoiding the urge to start sobbing right then and there. Kaori hasn't woken yet, but she would have to get used to being ripped from her dreams. There was no time to waste.  
  
Picking her up gently, Shuichi ran out of his apartment down to his red hybrid and gently set her down in the back seat. There was no way she'd get to ride front seat for this trip. She'll just have to deal with car sickness for now.   
  
Shuichi ran back to his small home to grab the rest of their things, just the bare essentials to get to as far away as possible. He couldn't just  _leave_ however. This was his home. His "big castle", according to Kaori. He gazed longingly at his slick black recliner, the classic dad thing, letting a tear slip down his cheek. He remembers holding Kaori as a toddler there as she would giggle when he blew raspberries on her small belly. He didn't notice hints of a smile creeping onto his face.  
  
This wasn't their original home. Shuichi was in fact married once, it just... didn't work out how it was planned. Perhaps marrying your best friend isn't the greatest idea. In his mind flashing images of a certain blonde, optimistic woman. She could play your emotions with simply a piano, that's how magnificent she was. He could almost feel the gentle touch of her long, pink acrylic nails scraping along his back. A mere memory sent shivers down his spine.  
  
The prodigal shows of affection that this woman used to present to Shuichi still astonished him to this day. How she would bounce up and down in pure excitement when he finally came home after a long day at the police station. The way she would pepper his cheeks with almost too many kisses before they went to sleep. Kaede Akamatsu. Or Kaede Saihara at one point. Shuichi could admit, he missed her, but he knew that he was much happier without her. With sweet happiness and optimism becoming dull and overflowing, they grew tired of eachother. The happy, cliché couple simply fell out of love.   
  
It was for the best. He couldn't let Kaori live with parents that weren't in love. He couldn't let her live with a constantly absent mother, or have to hide the knowledge of her parent's poorly "hidden" arguments. She deserved better than that.  
  
With Kaori back on his mind, he came to an alarming realization. Kaori was still in the car.  _Dammit!_ Metaphorically kissing the apartment goodbye, he violently grabbed the rest of the bags and ran down to his car in a near sprint.  
  
To his despair, Kaori was awake. The pair's eyes meeting, a look of curiously was shared between them. Kaori broke the silence, beckoning Shuichi to open the car door. To which he complied with.   
  
"Daddy? Why am I in the car?"  
  
He couldn't just tell a child that they were leaving their home forever. But he couldn't lie to his sweetheart and tell her they're going to McDonald's. This would be a test on his parental abilities.   
  
In his most compromising voice, he said: "Ah, um... listen, sweetie. I know this is going to be very big for you, but we're moving somewhere far away from here. Don't worry though! All of our friends are coming with us! Just... stay calm, okay? I love you." His voice getting quicker and more panicked by the second.   
  
Her lemon eyes moving down, Kaori stayed silent. Shuichi took advantage of this to shut the door and quickly shove the bags into the trunk of his car. Shutting the trunk, he got in, buckled up, and took a final glance at his daughter through the center mirror.   
  
Kaori was staring out of the window with a distant look. It almost looked like she was going to start crying, but it never happened. Shuichi knew that suddenly moving from a place you've called home most of your life is a big change, but this was for their safety.   
  
Even if this damned complex is burned down, the memories of a happy family will remain living, forever.

* * *

  
  
The highway was a living hell. It appeared the rest of the city took the hint and made a way to get the fuck out of here. All at the same time. Shuichi's knuckles turning white against the steering wheel as the cacophony of car horns getting unbearable.   
  
His car was stuck in between what could be guessed as thousands of other cars. Some people weren't having it and driving on the uncut grass along the highway. Police were trying to stop them, but what the hell is the police force going to do to thousands of people?  
  
Nothing. That was what. You can't stop mass hysteria, only survive it.  
  
_Fuck it._ With a violent turn of the steering wheel, Shuichi took his car along the same path that the smarter drivers were going. The ground was bumpy from the tire marks of other panicked drivers, but it didn't matter to Shuichi. He needed to go, and if nobody was going to move, then he'd have to do it himself.   
  
Her voice vibrating from the harsh movements of the car, Kaori cried: "D-daddy! Slow down, I dont wanna get hurt!"  
  
"Hush honey! I'm being as safe as I can!" Shuichi barked back to his panicking daughter. He couldn't pay attention to her right now.  
  
Shuichi looked in his side mirror. There were planes in the sky, actual fighter jets were bombing the city. He could see the smoke rising off of the tall buildings and could  _smell_ the melting metal. Everything he knew, his job, home, friends, was gone. Being burned into nothing. He still couldn't believe that it was  _him_ who had to escape oncoming war.  
  
"AHHHH! WATCH OUT!"   
  
Before he could see what Kaori was screaming about, the car came to a violent stop. Everything launched forward, including the two people in the car. Shuichi's head slammed against the steering wheel, white filling his vision. Just when he lifted his head, another car met with Shuichi's, sending him and everything else with it tumbling down a steep hill.  
  
Gravity was  _not_ Shuichi's friend. It only twisted his head in even more concerning ways. Glass rain scraped against the thin skin of his face, his own blood blinding him. He could barely count the times he was upside down.   
  
When Shuichi could actually believe he wasn't spinning anymore, he slowly opened his eyes with a grimace. Wiping the blood from his eyes, he scanned the damaged surroundings. The front window was completely shattered, his side mirror was missing, and items were in all the wrong places.  
  
At least his seatbelt was still on.  
  
Using the little strength he had left, he unbuckled the seatbelt and slowly opened the door. He crawled out on his belly, his arms moving him. Kaori wasn't out here, she must still be in the car. Shuichi got up, doing his best to ignore the sting in his legs as he did so.   
  
Walking over and crouching down, he peered into the backseat window. Her eyes were closed, and a small stream of blood was running down her tiny face as she slumped to the left. Panic enveloped Shuichi. He swung the door open, immediately checking her pulse. Praying that his daughter wasn't dead. If she was, Shuichi didn't know what he would do after that.   
  
A tiny heartbeat. It was all that was needed to make Shuichi a crying mess of relief. He undid her seatbelt, cautiously pulling her out of the car. He took his dark grey jacket off, wrapping it around the cut behind her bangs, the source of the string of blood on her face. His tears occasionally dripped onto her cheeks.   
  
Shuichi got up, and looked up at the near-dark sky. The first stars were coming up. He could hear the distant sound of panicked horns and bursting bombs. It was a peaceful night, fir the most part. He figured he would be safe here for the night. He sat down next to Kaori, who was still sleeping, and rested his head against the dented car door. Placing Kaori's head into his lap to use as a pillow, he cried into the dim forest.   
  
He never noticed his eyes slipping shut.

* * *

  
  
The last thing Shuichi would expect is his cellphone not being dead  _or_ having service. He wasn't very good at expecting things. His phone had both. Finding this out by being rudely awakened by the chiming bells of his ringtone, he wondered who in the absolute  _hell_ would call him in a time like this? Unless it was someone who was lucky enough to not be met with war, he didn't have much of an idea of who else it would be. Reluctantly, he picked up the phone anyways.   
  
"H-hello?" Shuichi said, with a slightly raspy voice from his recent breakdown.   
  
"Hey fucker, where are you?!" An aggressive female voice asked.  
  
"Wha- huh?"    
  
"C'mon, you can't be this stupid, I'm asking you where the hell you are! Do you still speak english?"  
  
"Who is this? And how did you get this number?" He asked in a desperate tone.  
  
"You gave me your number literal years ago, dumbass! Don't you know?! It's the gorgeous girl genius you've always known!"  
  
Miu. It was Miu who was calling him at what, two in the morning? Godammit. He should've known.  
  
"Oh, it's you. Why are you calling me at two in the morning miu?"  
  
"Well the fucking city's gone, so I thought of you and gave you a call! You should be thankful I even let you into my head!" She said boldly.   
  
"There's no way I could control that, but thanks for thinking of me. It means a lot." He said, letting his eyes wonder, whilst sliding his free hand through a still sleeping Kaori's hair.  
  
"Ha, I don't need thanks! I know I'm amazing! Anyways, I didn't call you to just be an asshole."  
  
With a quizzical look, he replied with a simple "Oh?"  
  
Her voice dropping low, she lost the vulgarity of her voice, "I'm sure we both know what's happening. And I have a plan. I have a place where me a mind a few of my friends are staying right now. We want to know if you can come stay with us, since clearly now isn't the best time to learn how to live in the woods, amirite?"  
  
A place? Sounds suspicious, but if Miu was still alive in there, it couldn't be so bad. As long as it meant that he leave his wrecked car behind, he would do whatever.   
  
"Are you with me? I'll give you the coordinates, since the internet still appears to work, I don't think it'll be up for long though. So be quick with it."

Without much thought, he agreed to the idea. Miu gave him the coordinates, demanding that he be there by the afternoon. 4 o'clock, specifically. Then abruptly hung up on him. Shuichi set an alarm for when the sun was actually up, and tucked his phone back into his pocket. Traveling could wait, he still needs a break from the day before.   
  
Finally resting his eyes another time, Shuichi fell back to sleep.  
  
_He dreamed of a forest, dark yet illuminated by fireflies floating about, a classic summer night._

**Author's Note:**

> Seatbelts really do help you ya know.
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks for reading this! :)


End file.
